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myosotisa · 1 year

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Small Things - e.m.

coworker!Eddie Munson x Reader

‖ summary: Insomnia is a bitch and has been really torturing you recently, but your coworker Eddie thinks he might be able to help you get some sleep (wholesomely).

‖ notes: just pure fluff, comfort to undescribed hurt. gender neutral reader, only reference is sitting down to pee (lol). Eddie refers to reader as sweetheart, no y/n. discussions of insomnia, nightmares, various trouble sleeping. sharing a bed :) i was once again possessed by a spirit that demanded Eddie softness. and i am helpless to fight against such a call. the title is based on the song Small Things by Ben Howard. hope you like it!

‖ word count: 3.8k

‖ cross posted on ao3

Another sunrise. The deep maroons that melted into rich oranges and peaks of yellow. Moments of warmth and gold that glowed in the dawn of a new day before fading into the palest and lightest of blues. Mists of grey fog that clouded the streets like ghosts until the sun mercifully put them to rest.

You'd watched too many sunrises recently. Perched by your window, curled up in comfortable layers to fight the chill in the January air, you sat and watched with bleary eyes as a new day began all too soon. It felt like some kind of weird torture to see the world come to life with the sun after hours of oppressive dark and silence. To hear birds begin to chirp, the distant murmur of cars start to kick up, children laughing and talking excitedly as they walked past to reach the bus stop. Feeling entirely unable to do anything else, you watched as the world awoke with a bitter resentment.

By the time you stumbled into the record store that afternoon, you were too bone tired to even hold on to the jealousy of the people around you who slept well. Getting dressed and ready to the bare minimum and inhaling some food was all you could manage before heading to work. You'd been exhausted when you came in to work yesterday too, but another sleepless night between now and then had you an absolute husk of yourself.

"Damn, you look like shit," your coworker, Eddie, said the moment he saw you. There was a grimace on his face and what almost looked like an inch of concern.

"Thanks Munson," you deadpanned back as you threw your bag haphazardly under the counter and stepped up to clock in, "it's nice to see you too."

You and Eddie were friends. Not close by any means, but you worked the afternoon shift together more often than not and spending that much time with someone leads to a certain level of familiarity. Picking up bits and pieces of each other from passing comments and mannerisms, filling silences with stories and conversations about nothing. Friends.

No matter how much he made you laugh and look forward to coming in to work, and no matter how pretty he looked when he had his messy hair pulled into a bun at the nape of his neck.

"I'm not kidding, are you sure you're feeling alright?" He stepped up next to your right side, ducked his head down with narrowed eyes to get a better look at you. You pushed his face away with a palm on his forehead and focused on trying to read through the notes from the morning shift. You knew for a fact Eddie hadn't read it and was just waiting for you to show up and tell him what to do.

"I'm fine. But have you even done any of this?" It came out with more bite than you meant it too, your patience paper thin. "Seriously, you've been here for 2 hours already and you were just what? Doing nothing?"

When your head quickly turned on him, he flinched back, big, brown eyes wide and slow blinking in surprise. You immediately slumped, bringing your hands up to rub roughly at your face as you sighed in regret and frustration. Attempting to bridge the gap he'd very quickly put between the two of you, you tried to soften. "I'm sorry, forget I said that. Let's just… Get to work. Okay?"

Although still hesitant, looking like he was battling between worry and caution, he agreed. "Yeah, sure, sweetheart. Whatever you say."

Grateful for his cooperation, you went through the list and divided up tasks as normal. Set yourself into the familiar role of work, turned on the autopilot. Eddie didn't put up any fight when you told him what you wanted him to do, even sucking up the complaints he normally gave about certain repetitive tasks. When the two of you broke apart to get started, you noticed him over by the record player that was connected to the store's shitty speaker system. He wordlessly swapped the vinyl that wasn't even finished playing and placed in another – one that was way more your taste than his.

Choosing not to think too much about it, you turned off your brain and started organizing.

The next time Eddie spoke to you was almost two hours later. An extended silence like that was nowhere near the norm, he would spend the entire shift talking without a second thought if you let him and you liked that about him. It made the time pass quickly; he had a nice voice and a certain way of speaking and telling stories that drew you in and made you want more. While the silence today had felt empty, you were grateful for it. You didn't have the energy to try to keep up with his enthusiasm right now.

"Sooooo," Eddie began casually when you both found yourselves behind the counter again, "are you gonna tell me what's wrong? Or are we just going to awkwardly not talk for the rest of the day?"

Taking a deep breath to remain calm, you replied, "Nothing's wrong."

"Oh, so we're lying. That's cool." He hopped up to sit on the counter, the rips in his jeans at the knee widening further as he swung his feet. "As long as we’re doing that, I've been wanting to let you know that I'm actually undercover for the government and we'd like to recruit you to be the next President of Space."

You couldn't stop the amused snort that left you, the small smile that came to your face. Tried to ignore how easy it was for him to make you laugh even when you were downright miserable. "You lost me at working for the government.”

He snapped his fingers in a dramatic swing of his wrist, folding his arms over his chest in an exaggerated pout after. “Knew that anti-establishment vibe I gave off would come back to bite me eventually.” When you didn’t respond again beyond shaking your head at his antics, he seemed to quiet down. “But really, you look like you’re dead on your feet. Got me a little worried, is all.”

Meeting his eyes for the first time, you noted the earnest glow in them. He was genuinely worried about you and you couldn’t help but listen to that nagging voice in your head that told you to make it smaller, ease his mind. “Just haven’t been sleeping well. No big deal,” you shrugged your shoulders, averting eye contact as you blew his concern off.

“When’s the last time you slept?”

He asked so easily, like it wasn’t a question that dug too deep, like it didn’t threaten to make your eyes water. You weren’t used to it – being cared for, someone worrying. Someone noticing. It felt strange, uncomfortable, unsafe.

But when you looked in his eyes again, you felt yourself crumble instantly. You’d always been weak when it came to him and now would prove to be no exception.

“Almost 3 days ago,” you admitted quietly. Tried to keep a strong facade, remain unaffected as his face fell. He rubbed at the stubble on his jaw as the muscle there rolled with tension.

“Just can’t fall asleep?” He asked, voice kind and gentle. Non-judgmental. “Or nightmares?”

“Both.”

Looking a bit unsure at continuing to poke, to ask for more, he hesitated before adding, “Is it the quiet?”

When your only response was to press your lips tight together, feeling embarrassed to acknowledge that truth, he began to slowly nod his head. Almost like he was coming to some sort of understanding. “If… If you want to come over to my place after work, I think I can help.”

“Eddie…” Your voice trailed off, trying to fight the butterflies in the pit of your stomach when your mind went straight to the gutter. “If this is some kind of ploy to get in my pants, I’m really not-”

“No!” He interrupted loudly, surprising both himself and you, before he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Nothing like that, no funny business. Scouts honor.” And he held up under your inspection as you studied him, checking for sincerity. In a show of good faith, he used the tip of his finger to draw an ‘X’ over his heart, the corners of his mouth turning up in a smile as he did so.

Weak, exhausted, desperate for rest, you had little fight left to give. “You really think it’ll help?” All he did was nod confidently, not offering anything further. Reluctant to accept his help but at the end of your rope, you agreed. After work, you would get in your car and follow him back to his place.

And the rest of the shift proceeded as close to normal as it could. The two of you weaved around each other as you prepared the store for the weekend rush, ordered takeout to eat during your breaks, and ran through the motions of closing up the store as you had 100 times before. When the door was locked behind you, both of you standing outside in the cold night air, you hesitated. And he noticed immediately. “Do you trust me?”

Not expecting the question, you blinked owlishly at him, pulling your jacket in tight as a shiver ran down your spine. “Yeah,” you said honestly, “yeah, I do.”

His keys spun around his fingers, clanking together with themselves and the silver of his rings as it made contact with his palm. A disarming smile directed toward you and he was waving you to follow. “Then come on.”

The drive to his house on the edge of town was longer than you thought it would be. Honestly, you had no idea where he lived before now. He’d mentioned before that he used to live at the trailer park in Forest Hills but hadn’t explained what happened to get here. He pulled into the grass beside the modest house, half hidden in trees, and you parked your car behind his van. “Home sweet home,” he said with a grin as you exited your car, gesturing to the quiet and dark house.

“Do you live here alone?” You asked, falling into step with him as he led you up the small stairs to the porch.

“No, with my Uncle Wayne.” The screen door squeaked loudly as he pulled it open, his too-full keychain making a mess of noise as he unlocked the front door. “We used to live in a trailer on the other side of town, I think I’ve mentioned that before?” When he looked at you for confirmation, you nodded and followed him inside, the screen door slamming shut behind you. “After the earthquakes, our trailer basically didn’t exist. One of many casualties, I guess. I’m just glad neither of us were home when it happened.” He flipped on a warm toned lamp in the living room, giving a bit of light to the space. It was pretty barren – a new looking leather couch, a TV on a homemade stand, a few newspapers and magazines laid out on the glass coffee table. “Somehow we lucked out getting some big government pay out for the damages and bought this little house. Just a living room, kitchen, bathroom, 2 tiny bedrooms. It’s small, but it’s ours.” You paused your study of the room to turn to where Eddie had walked off to and spotted him bent at the waist in front of the open fridge, arms spread wide.

“I like it,” you offered, feeling out of place in his home.

“It’s alright,” he agreed, although it came out in a happy sigh. “Haven’t had much money to decorate since we had to replace pretty much everything we owned… So it’s a bit plain.” His eyes crinkled in a wince as he tilted his head toward you. “Do you want something to drink? I’ve got water or soda or some lemonade?”

Taking a few cautious steps toward him, you gave him a grateful smile. “A water would be great, thank you.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart. Coming right up.” And if you hadn’t been so sleep deprived, been so sure you were making things up, you could’ve sworn he blushed a bit as he turned away. You watched as he moved around his kitchen in total ease. As if there wasn’t a borderline stranger in his home. It didn’t seem to bother him at all as he poured himself a glass of lemonade and presented you with some water. You thanked him, taking a small sip as you clutched the chilled glass between your hands. “Let me give you the grand tour,” he said with a slight bow, gesturing for you to continue further into his home.

While he was right about it not being very decorated, there were still signs of life everywhere. A flannel overshirt laid over the back of the couch, a partially filled ashtray on top of a magazine, a pair of work boots kicked off in the corner. There were used towels in the bathroom, a cup with 2 toothbrushes on the sink, a broken up bar of soap on the edge of the tub. Wayne’s door was mostly closed and you wanted to respect his boundaries, but could just barely see the corner of a hastily made bed, a pair of fluffy slippers on the floor. And you should've expected that out of the whole house, the most personality was definitely in Eddie’s room.

Your attention first caught on a deep maroon electric guitar displayed in the corner, a tiny amp tucked behind it. It looked well loved and cared for. There were pieces of paper stuck to the walls here and there – blank sheets with sketches of what looked like fantasy creatures on them, lined pages torn from a notebook covered in scribbles of writing. A few photos placed up with thumbtacks, a small bookshelf crowded with paperbacks and vinyl records. There was a dresser to make up for the lack of a closet and a record player sat on top, one you recognized as a model you sold in the store. There was a pile of clothes between the dresser and his guitar, a missing sock beside his bed, some sneakers sticking out from under it. The bed was unmade with cream colored sheets that didn’t look dirty, but had definitely been slept on once or twice. It felt warm and cozy and it smelled like Eddie. Since when do you recognize what Eddie smells like?

“It’s not much,” he commented when the silence stretched too long for his comfort, walking around you to kick the discarded sock out of sight. “At least, not compared to my old room. But it’ll be covered in posters and other bullshit again soon.” You nodded numbly, eyes still scanning and consuming what he offered. You didn’t really know what to say, just allowed him to fill the silence to his contentment. Taking a few steps further into the room, you set your glass down on the stool that acted as his bedside table, wiping the cold condensation off on your pants. His eyes tracked the motion and seemed to come to some realization, taking one long legged step over to his dresser and beginning to dig through drawers.

A few moments later he was holding a bundle of black and grey out to you. “What’s this?” You asked, taking it from his hands on instinct.

“Just a tshirt and a pair of sweatpants. Probably wouldn’t have much luck sleeping in your jeans.” You looked down at the fabric in your hands with wide eyes and then back up at him. “You can, uh, go change in the bathroom if you want?”

Feeling confident enough to ask now, you hesitated. “What exactly am I doing here?”

“I’ll explain after you change, okay? It’s nothing weird and I won’t make you do anything you aren’t comfortable doing.” He looked resolute in that fact, absolutely serious in his claim. It helped settle your nerves a bit as you toed off your sneakers by the wall and then turned back toward the bathroom across the hall.

Slowly, meticulously, you took off your own clothes and folded them into a small pile on the counter. You pulled on what Eddie had given you, unable to stop yourself from inhaling the woody and herbal scent of him. Because of how concentrated it was on his clothes, it overwhelmed you, sending your tired brain spinning. Trying to settle yourself, you put the toilet seat down to pee, took your time washing your hands, and then pressed a bit of warm water to your face. By the time you were collecting your clothes and padding back across the hall in your socks, there was soft instrumentals coming from the record player on Eddie’s dresser and he had also changed into something more comfortable; a pair of red and black flannel pants and a grey crewneck that had faded red lettering spelling out ‘Coca-Cola’ on it. He was barefoot, hair still in the same bun as before, bent slightly forward as he thumbed through his bookshelf. As if sensing your arrival, he straightened up and turned toward you, his lips stretching into a toothy smile as he took you in.

“My clothes suit you,” he said, a bit smug and teasing. You rolled your eyes, hoped to god you didn’t blush visibly. As you crossed over to set your clothes over by your shoes, his eyebrows pinched together in concern. “I forgot how cold it is, do you think you’ll be alright? I can pull out another sweatshirt if you need it.”

“I’m fine for now,” you rushed to placate, still feeling plenty warm in the heated walls of the small house. “If I get cold, I’ll let you know.”

His smile returned, this one almost sickly sweet. “Sounds good to me.” He adjusted back toward the bookshelf, eyes scanning rapidly back and forth for a few moments before he grabbed one of the well-worn novels between his fingertips and pulled it out. “So, here’s the plan,” he said, coming back around to sit on the edge of the bed facing where you remained in the doorway. “You’re going to lay down and try to sleep, and I’m gonna sit next to you and read.”

You tilted your head to the side, unable to hide your confusion. “That’s it?”

“That’s it.” He confirmed, giving his bed a little tap to invite you over.

Still unsure, you crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, some safe space remaining between the two of you. “I don’t understand, how would that help me?”

Restless hands tapped against the paper cover of the novel in his hands, The Sword and the Stone by T.H. White, as he appeared to collect his thoughts. “After the earthquakes,” he began, taking a pause to clear his throat as his voice caught, “I struggled to sleep for a real long time. Nightmares, insomnia, waking up in the middle of the night, the whole thing.” His tone was soft, vulnerable, almost a bit embarrassed as he explained. “I tried alcohol, weed, sex, working out, going for walks, almost everything and nothing helped. After a really rough night, I was just laying on the couch when Wayne came home from work. We didn’t say much, and he just started to cook some food for himself before he went to bed.” A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, obviously appreciating the memory. “I don’t really know for sure what did it, but something about just listening to him do something, just having someone else around put me right to sleep. And I thought maybe it was a fluke, I’d just passed out from exhaustion and it was a coincidence. But it happened again and again. Whether he was thumbing through the newspaper, cooking, reading, whittling at a stick, anything quiet really. As long as he was there, I could get to sleep.”

“So,” he nudged his elbow into your arm, bringing your eyes to meet his, “I’m going to sit here and read next to you and you’re gonna get some sleep.”

It still didn’t make much sense to you, couldn’t get your tired brain to pick up the threads on why that would be so. But you were desperate at this point, just wanting to be able to close your eyes and find some peace. As your fingers curled in the hem of your shirt, his shirt, you softly asked, “You really think it’ll work?”

“I figure it’s worth a shot, sweetheart.”

And then you were nodding, and he was giving you that look to check if you were serious, if you were comfortable, and then he was shifting up on the bed. It was full size, so just barely enough for the two of you to be side by side and not really be touching. He sat up, leaning back against the headboard and motioned for you to lay down next to him. You did so carefully, pulling the heavy quilt and top sheet over you as you settled on your back next to him, hands resting on your stomach and eyes on the ceiling as you tried to ignore your discomfort.

As soon as you stopped moving, he adjusted himself a bit, balancing the book using his knee and one hand, the other arm draping itself over the pillow your head rested on. You held your breath as his fingertips pressed into your hair, immediately moving into soothing circles on your scalp. As much as you wanted to feel weird about the intimate touch, it had you melting into his sheets, your held breath releasing in a shaky exhale.

“Is this okay?” He asked quietly, looking down at you in a way that was just filled with softness. Already fighting the heavy feeling in your eyes, you nodded, drawing the blanket up further around you. He smiled, his thumb stroking across your hairline for a moment before he went back to the gentle circles from before. “Now, try and get some sleep. I’ll be right here.”

And you didn’t know if it was the placebo effect from him telling you it worked for him, the confirmation that he was watching over you, the soft sounds of his deep breathing and the gentle turn of pages, the warmth and smell of him being nearby, or the way he mindlessly drew patterns into your skin, but you were fading fast. “Hey Eddie?” You said in a whisper after a few minutes of peace.

“Yeah sweetheart?” He replied just as softly.

“Thank you.”

He hummed a deep baritone of acknowledgement as your breathing began to slow, to draw deeper. “Sleep well.”

And you did. All the way through the night without a single dream.

thanks for reading!! please give it a reblog and leave a note if you liked it :)

tagging my muses: @blue-mossbird, @hauntingbastille, @fracturedarkness. @abibliophobiaa (i promise i will sleep at some point)

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fic #stranger things fanfic #stranger things 4 #eddie munson #myos ideas #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson imagines #eddie munson blurbs #eddie munson oneshots #myo4munson

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oceanlifeenthusiast · 2 months

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OOC:

Can you imaginr what would happen if Lovecraft became president.

Louisa: Sir there's... there's an issue

Francis: Hm? Is this 'issue' going bankrupt?

Louisa: ...No...

Francis: Then it can't be that bad.

Louisa: Howard has become President.

Francis: I take back my words. WHAT.

Louisa: I don't know, either! H-He was just- somehow elected? I think Twain got him to run for president as a joke but-

Francis: And people genuinely voted for him?

Louisa: Apparently so...

Francis: ...Good GOD.

Nathaniel: Did you hear the news?

Margaret: Hm? What about?

Nathaniel: Lovecraft has been... elected for president.

Margaret: ...I beg your pardon?

Nathaniel: I am just as confused as anyone else.

Margaret: I reckon we're all done for by now.

Nathaniel: Only the Lord knows...

Mark: HOLY SHIT.

Lucy: What? What happened?

Mark: You know that idea I had that you said was pure insanity and wouldn't work?

Lucy: ...Which one?

Mark: The one regarding Lovecraft...

Lucy: Yeah, that really narrows it down, Twain.

Mark: Hey! But anyway- er, you know how I jokingly made Lovecraft run for president...?

Lucy: ...Don't tell me.

Mark: Yeah.

Lucy: Sigh.

Atsushi: Dazai, why is the being you fought now president of Yokohama?

Kunikuda: He's WHAT

Dazai: Oh, man.

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cutiecorner · 17 days

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Can We Fix It?

fic • caregiver J'onn J'onzz, regressor John Stewart

still on my John kick. Might write more for these two!

John was feeling under the weather. He hated to admit it, but he was. He was stubborn when it came to taking breaks from hero work - but this flu had progressed to the point he could barely stand. He laid face down on his bed, groaning through the tight pain in his stomach. His groan melted into a whine as his stomach rolled. Ugh, not this again, he found himself thinking. This flu would not make him regress, he promised himself that. Though, when he reached for the water bottle on his night stand, it spilled. He hated messes. This day just went from bad to worse.

He took a deep breath and prepared himself to roll out of bed, preferably into a standing position. That didn’t happen though, as when he rolled over he rolled clean off the bed, into the puddle of water. John’s face twisted into a pout and he hit the ground with his fist. Ugh! Now he was all wet too? How was he gonna change his shirt if he couldn’t even get up? It was all too much. He hit the ground more and more. His mom’s voice rang through his head, John Marshall Stewart, you better fix your attitude. He stopped his flailing. His mom. He wanted his mom so bad, and the way he was acting? His mom would probably be disappointed. He covered his face with his hands, trying to hide the tears from an imaginary audience. He hated regression. Hate, hate, hated it!

“John?”

A rumbling voice cut through John’s loud thoughts.

“J’onn?’ He replied.

Said martian was hovering right above him, looking worried at his spot on the floor. Everything’s fine, John thought, act casual.

“H-hey man,” John’s voice cracked. Seriously?

“Are you alright?” J’onn asked, his voice painfully gentle, “Your tracker sent an alert that your heart rate was elevated, and I know you’re not well,”

John grimaced at the pain blooming in his back, “I’m fine. Just rolled off the bed is all.”

“Let me help you,”

Before John could protest, he was being lifted by his friend. J’onn set him back in bed, and laid the back of his hand on John’s forehead.

“Getting anything from that?”

J’onn shrugged,“... No, but Clark did it to me when I was sick.”

They shared a laugh.

“Thanks for checking in on me, Big J,”

“Of course. It wasn’t just the sensor that sent me,”

John quirked a brow.

“Your mother wanted me to check in on you,”

John hid his face in embarrassment, mama! He grumbled.

“Think nothing of it, my friend. I’ll be staying with you to make sure you recover,”

“Oh, J’onn, you don’t have to do that.”

“Are you suggesting I disobey a direct order from Shirley Stewart?”

“Oh, yeah, you better stay.”

They laughed again.

J’onn examined John’s face closer, finding the tear stains. He reached up a hand to wipe the still-wet tracks away.

“Little one…”

John flinched.

“Nope, nope, none of that,” John pouted. He crossed his arms and looked away.

“John, I don’t mean to assume, but if this illness is making you regress -”

“It’s not.” he huffed. J’onn retracted his hand.

“Alright, if you say so.”

John perked up at the success. Ha! He was not regressed. Even J’onn thought so.

"Will you at least let me help you out of your wet shirt?

John had already forgotten about the shirt.

"I can do it by myself, thanks,"

With great struggle (and perhaps a hand from J'onn) the shirt was discarded and replaced with a soft Howard University sweatshirt.

“Is it okay if I put something on TV?” J'onn asked.

“Of course, I’ve got some DVDs on the shelf.”

J’onn walked over and thumbed through the shelf. A smirk crossed his face, but was quickly covered with his usual neutral expression. He popped the DVD in the player, and an animated selection screen flicked on. A familiar song started to play.

“J’onn. I know what you’re doing.”

“What am I doing?”

“Bob the Builder? This is a kid’s show.”

“Oh? I wasn’t aware. You’re the one with the DVD.”

John huffed. “Touche.”

The theme song played on. Once the episode proper began, John propped himself up to see.

“What is that?” J’onn asked, pointing at the contraption on screen.

“You’ve never seen a steam roller?”

“I don’t get out much.”

“Well, now you have,” John said, “his name is Roley.”

“Do all steam rollers have names?”

“No! Just this one!” John giggled.

…giggled?

“What are the other creatures' names?”

“They’re not really creatures, J, they’re machines,”

“Then why do they have eyes?”

“I dunno!” John was laughing now.

“Well, what are their names?”

“Okay okay… can you… can you look in that bottom drawer?”

J’onn opened the drawer, finding little plastic figures inside.

“Oh! It’s Roley!” J’onn held up the green steamroller.

“Bring ‘em all over!”

John was sitting up in bed now, trying to curb his growing smile. J’onn spread out the toys on the bed.

“Okay so this is Scoop, he’s a backhoe loader, and Muck is a dump truck - dump trucks are my favorite - and Dizzy, a cement mixer! And Bob, obviously.”

“Bob is the only human among them? How did he come to know these sentient machines?”

John laughed, “I dunno!”

“Maybe if we watch, we’ll find out.”

“Sit here, J!” John beamed, patting the spot next to him.

“Of course, little one.”

#agere #fandom agere #agere fandom #dc agere #justice league agere #green lantern agere #agere fanfic #agere fanfiction

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gatalentan · 1 year

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can u actually go over the significance of the sunflowers on the work wives’ table again? I think I missed it the first time and it sounds interesting

You have activated my trap card. Here is my thesis on the Work Wives Sunflowers.

Ok, I want to preface this by saying this is totally just a little bit of fun, and I am not totally deluded as to think this is A Thing. I have no expectations about this ship being canon, or there being Secret Meanings. It's more spotting a pattern and running with it. However, similarly - there is symbolism in this show in terms of costuming and set design, such as Janine's "love" necklace appearing and disappearing during story beats, writing on the teachers' boards being plot-relevant, etc, so it's not me being totally outlandish! For nearly 30 consecutive there hasn't been any decorations on the table, only practical items like salt, pepper, a basket of leaflets/condiments, a napkin holder etc (with the exception of Pilot, where the tables were in a different configuration, the WW are at a different table and all the tables have a little plant). For eg, here is all of S1:

In Fire, the table was damaged during a lapse of Barbara's mental health, where she became very insular with her own internal pain and didn't reach out to Melissa about it. It goes without saying that in the WW lore this table is basically a second home. The only time either of them sits anywhere else is when they fight, when Melissa ends up "sleeping on the couch" (other tables). This table getting damaged was a huge deal to Barbara and an inciting incident in her finally telling Melissa about Gerald's health problems and how it was upsetting her.

The table obviously had to be replaced after the fire damage, and was. In Teacher Conference, there is a new table, and a little bouquet has appeared, which stays through the next episode Mural Arts, squirreled away behind all the dinner paraphernalia.

But in Teacher Appreciation, the sunflowers appeared, huge and bright, two of them, a centrepiece, right there from the cold open.

An episode which, as we know, was a massive turning point in their relationship, where they fought, traded some really, really low blows that cut deep, but this time apologised on screen and reconciled - and one in which Barbara is wearing bright yellow when they do.

Immediately my squirrelly little brain started making connections about this, because they're SO bright and LARGE and PROMINENT and there wasn't any prominent decoration on the table before. My initial thought was oh, it's teacher appreciation day, this can be dismissed easily as just a gift from one of the kids. But we saw a lot of gifts being given to them all in this ep, and the flowers aren't among them. It was @cdyssey who made the stitch for me that this is probably Barbara christening/homecoming the table/the physical manifestation of their friendship/relationship after her lapse damaged it in an episode which re-cements their connection after the events of Fire, and in an episode where their bond is tested. Flowers are her thing. It has to be Barbara.

We also haven't seen any other gift that was given become a recurring feature. They are always facing the wide-angle camera, two bright faces for the two of them in the configuration they always sit in, side by side. Barbara Howard, who loves flowers, no doubt has read up on flower language before. Sunflowers are representative of "silent love, loyalty, admiration, arrogance and unspoken love". This was, without a doubt, a deliberate choice, and so, so thematically relevant for not only the unspoken but incredibly strong bonds of their relationship (platonic, romantic or otherwise), but also the arrogance for which Barbara (and Melissa) took their relationship (and the symbolism of their shared table) for granted in the episode where they appeared, and in Fire where she didn't open up to Melissa and share her pain.

The sunflowers are a physical manifestation of what Barbara feels about her relationship with Melissa, and the sanctuary that is their second home: the table. A safety and enduring loyalty that has lasted decades and seen countless other colleagues and friendships and even Melissa's marriage come and go. For each other, they are a reliable, ever-present constant, a beam of sunlight no matter what they are weathering together. The sunflowers stayed on the table for the following episode, disappeared 2x20 when Melissa was sat at the table alone (and was stressed and unmoored the whole episode), and the reappeared in 2x21, when the WW returned to the table again. And not only reappearing, but reappearing in a yellow outfit.

This cements to me that this is Barbara bringing them in each Monday - when she doesn't come into the lounge, the flowers aren't there.

As an addendum, I haven't re-checked the full series proper, but another time sunflowers have appeared in relation to WW is during another turning-point scene in 1x06, the "maybe this is it for me" scene with Barbara, Melissa & Gerald eating lunch that leads to Barbara encouraging Melissa to date again... but which also contains this look, where Barbara's mask nearly, fully slips one of the most significant times in the whole series and is a foundational moment in WW ship lore. Again, there are two sunflowers in this scene.

Yes, this whole thing is me being a delulu girl. Yes, it's me making tenuous connections for a non-canon ship and making a meal out of scraps. Yes, I fully enjoy this little theory and subscribe to it, and welcome anyone else to play around in the mud with me, too. If you wanna take this idea for fic etc, GO GO GO!

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

#work wives #melissa x barbara #barlissa #chatalentan

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deke-rivers-1957 · 13 days

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Scott's World of Tomorrow

It was February 1956, a young Scott Heyward had just turned 16 years old. His father, Duster Heyward of Heyward Oil is about to spoil him.

"Well son taday's yer birthday. What do ya wanna do?"

"Can we go to Disneyland Pa? They have a whole section called Tomorrowland and a race car track called Autopia."

Mr. Heyward smiles as he claps Scott's shoulder.

"Tha's mah boy. Disneyland's gonna be a great client ta have. Can't be runnin no rides without oil."

"Yeah and maybe if they have real cars there I can take some notes for the research department."

Mr. Heyward chuckles as he goes to the phone.

"Ah'll just let yer tutor know yer goin on a field trip. That oughta make 'em happy yer doin yer science project."

"Ok, Pa."

Time Skip

"Alright then son. Ah'm gonna be talk with some a Disney's people. They said some fella named Bob Gurr's gonna be walkin ya through Autopia."

"Wow. Thanks Pa!"

Scott sits down on a bench with his camera and notepad. A young man his 20s approaches him.

"Are you Scott Heyward?"

"Yes. Are you Mr. Gurr?"

"That I am. Just call me Bob today. It's really an honor to have you and father come to the park today."

The two shake hands and start to walk to Tomorrowland.

"Now as you can see, the Moonliner was designed by one of my colleagues, John Hench and of course sponsored by Howard Hughes of Trans World Airlines."

Scott takes some pictures as they walk through the attraction. They get to the Monsanto Hall of Chemistry.

"Are you familiar with Monsanto, Scott?"

"Oh yes. I was only 7 when they had that explosion down in Texas City. Pa sent a crew to bring oil down to the site. He managed to get a deal where we can have a couple ships down at the port."

Bob nods. Eventually they make it to Autopia.

"Now this is what I helped design. I used what I learned from working with Ford."

"You worked with Ford? What did you do?"

"Well I helped design the Lincoln Continental. I published a few books on automotive design and that's what brought Mr. Disney's attention over to me. He wanted me to analyze the chassis for these cars. Originally designed by Hartmann Engineering, they were having issues regarding the ability to be mass produced. Too noisy and smokey with a lot of vibration. Eventually the company dropped out so I was brought on permanently to come up with a different design."

Scott's writing all of this down the best he can. Mr. Gurr's slowly turning into an idol.

"So where did you get the design for the cars? They don't look like anything I've ever seen."

"Take a closer look. If you're familiar with Porsche, I took the idea of their 54 550 Spyder and combined it with the recent custom made Italian Ferraris. Of course the Chevrolet Corvette also served as inspiration."

"Wow."

Bob continues telling his story. Scott listens to every word including everything about engineering he has yet to learn.

"What make are these cars now?"

"Currently these are the Mark II's. I had to fix the chassis so they can accommodate a sturdier, smoother-running engine. We've been getting a lot of youngsters so it was necessary to add booster seats and extensions on the peddles. I just finished a prototype for the Mark III and already started work on the Mark IVs"

"Why? What's wrong with these models?"

"Longevity and ease of repair. With how popular this attraction is getting it's only a matter of time before these cars will need repairing. Every month we're learning something new about what people like and don't like about the car. Just goes to show that even when a product is a success, there's still a lot that needs to be done to perfect it."

Scott writes this down as Bob finishes talking.

"Would you like to ride in one of these, Scott?"

"Yes! I'd love to."

Bob chuckles as they wait in line to ride in one of the cars.

Time Skip

"How was yer trip son?"

"I loved it Pa. Mr. Gurr let me take so many pictures and showed me all of Tomorrowland."

Mr. Heyward smiles as they make their way back to Texas. Scott would recite his notes and Bob's story. His father could only nod along as he never really got into the science side of business.

"Well Ah bet yer science project'll turn out real good."

"Oh yeah Pa. Until science finds a better way, everything needs oil. Even the rockets."

"Thatta boy. Yer gonna be takin Heyward Oil inta space."

Scott smiles and sits back in his seat. He starts to fantasize about making his own world of tomorrow.

AN: Shoutout to @xanatenshi for requesting this story.

Tagging: @mercsandmonsters, @georgefairbrother, @imaginationlast, @hooked-on-elvis, @arrolyn1114,

@teamnefarious, @blighted-star, @ab4eva, @thetaoofzoe, @vintagepresley,

@myradiaz, @jaqueline19997, @kiankiwi, @ahundredlifetime, @mydarlingelvis,

@tupelomiss, @elvispresleywife, @karel-in-wonderland, @tacozebra051, @sillybookmarks,

@dusintv, @velvetelvis, @livelaughelvis, @slayingjd, @anamiad00msday,

@mistyspresley, @i-r-i-n-a-a, @yoooooooh, @southcarolinawoman, @peaceloveelvis,

@squaggleson, and @idk583838.

#scott heyward #clambake #ecu fanfiction #thanks for the request!#disneyland #autopia

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infernalodie · 1 year

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𝐈𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐬𝐞 || 𝐋𝐞𝐱𝐢 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝

“𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘉𝘢𝘣𝘺, 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵“

Pairing: Lexi Howard x Male!reader

ilomilo series

Summary: Did I ever say that you’re unpredictable?

(gif used is not mine)

Warnings: Angst

Words: 969

I wasn’t much of an optimist before. Really, I was just in the background of some rather sleazy drama flic that was beyond human comprehension or believability. And realistically, I preferred being the side character or extra. Helped me blend in and just be another face no one would ever think about again.

And that was a helpful trait with keeping “updated” on your life. Before work, you would go to the coffee shop down the street. Talk to the waitress, someone you must know from the daily schedule you’ve made before walking back and taking over for one of your coworkers. From there, on breaks, you just take a small walk two blocks and visit a comic book store whilst the old lady who owns the store covers for you.

From what I could tell, you preferred DC over Marvel. But just a quick Instagram search and I’m available to all the little bits about you. A music enthusiast, a comic geek, and a movie critic. None of the posts have a caption to capture what you were feeling when uploading them. But I can quickly tell that most kids in East Highland don’t have the same likings as you. Comments on these posts come from followers that do though, and they must be enough for you to say ‘fuck you’ to the rest of the world and post what you want.

And I know we have a date at 8 PM, but I just needed to see you. Can you blame me though? It’s important that I learn these things so we can talk and naturally get to know one another. This is fine. I’m taking things slower than I had in the past. I want this to be special compared to what it was like with Fez. You are special. You are different. And you are beautifully sweet with Maddy-

Wait. What the fuck?

What the hell is she doing at your work?

I know for damn sure that she is heavy into music like you or I, so why is she here, Y/n? From what I can see, you don’t seem all too impressed with her being our space as well. Brows furrowed and eyes narrowed in a glare as she spoke sweet nothings. It was despicable honestly. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that she’s just being friendly. But I know my friend and I know that in the time of her dating your brother, you two got to know one another. Now, on and off you two would talk, but she never went out of her way to show up at your work. So, what’s the change of heart?

Maddy moved around the counter, lips twisted in a smile that rivalled your unimpressed deadpan that looked incredibly attractive. “C’mon, Y/n. How long have we been at this?” Maddy inquired, stopping when she stood by your side. “We can just sneak into the office. Get a quick fuck in.” She closed the space, lips pressing to the edge of your jaw. “You are so much bigger than your brother.”

Listen, I have no problems with Maddy. Did she pull some stupid shit sometimes? Abso-fucking-lutely. Has she had a rough go when it came to your brother? Yes. But she is delusional. The whole argument she had with your brother in the hot tub is a testament to that and I think you know that as well.

So, what the fuck is her play here?”

“Maddy, it’s not a good idea,” you protested. “I’m not afraid to say that I am scared of Nate. I know what he’s done to you and Jules. Have you ever thought of what he might do to me if he found out we’ve been fucking?”

A groan fell from the girl’s lips. “He’s not going to find out, Y/n. I have no reason to tell him shit,” Maddy sighed, lips twisting in a grin. “C’mon. It’ll be fun. I’ll let you be rough.” With her hands finding yours, she began to pull and guide you, and you allowed it.

God, seeing her this dick whipped over you was insulting. Well, maybe not for you but you aren’t a guy to just throw yourself around. You were quiet, reserved, charismatic, and goddamn adorable when you didn’t mean to be.

This isn’t you. You aren’t the type to just give up on your job just to go get laid. This didn’t make any fucking sense. And even if I move down the sidewalk and try to get a better angle, I can’t see jackshit inside that office. Not to mention the sun glare coming right back at me.

I’m too exposed out here. If I can’t see you, that means I don’t know if you’ve noticed me or not. But this just means I have reasoning for Maddy’s clinginess to you. A manipulative, selfish, stupid bitch. I won’t let her do this to us. I won’t let her get between us right when I finally enter your life. I just have to figure out what I am going to do next, and I don’t yet have the faintest clue as to what that may be.

But what I do know is that this sharing shit isn’t going to work. If it be with someone more competent and maybe shared the same love I have for you, then this would be different. Because maybe I could love someone just as much as I love you. Except, this is reality and I won’t be doing any 60/40 bullshit. You are meant for me. We are meant for one another and Maddy is forcing herself into the perfect frame we are making together.

And somehow, I’m going to need to get her the fuck out of it.

#lexi howard #lexi howard euphoria #lexi howard x reader #lexi howard x y/n #lexi howard x male!reader #lexi howard x male reader #lexi howard imagine #lexi howard fanfiction #x male reader #euphoria x male!reader #euphoria #euphoria hbo #euphoria imagine #lexi howard angst #maddy perez #fuck nate jacobs

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foxes-that-run · 3 months

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Daylight

Harry said Daylight is about infatuation with troubled things. He sings about a long distance relationship where his muse, to me Taylor, keeps him at a distance, he wants to be with them and wants more than his muse gives him. In a theme for his work at that time Harry sings of cocaine, travelling the world and romantic encounters but he really just wants his muse to love him back. Yet knowing they keep him at a distance Harry can't help wanting to be with them.

The lyric video has Sunflowers with their heads are dropped :( this happens when they don’t have water, a reference to Taylor Swifts Clean (When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst) and Sunflower Vol 6.

Music video

The music video for Daylight is fantastic and full of Haylor easter eggs in these:

@womanexile has detail in part 1 and part 2,

@this-daydream-is-dangerous-13 post about the timeline for making the video and the James Corden $300 video showing it was made May 22 before it’s July 23 release. The Olivia tattoo is seen in it. and

This post about seven and the video

Title and Track list

Daylight is also the name of the last song on Taylor Swift's album Lover. It was originally the title track, and Taylor hinted at it in the Red Liner notes while she was still dating Harry. Taylor’s Daylight is about true love, the last sung verse of Taylors Daylight is [love] "it's golden like daylight". Harry then opened Fine Line with Golden. Daylight is track 5 of Harry's House.

What Harry has said

youtube

Howard Stern (8:10) Harry said:

"Daylight was quite an early song on the album, it's one of my favourites and it was kind of a stream of consciousness writing that happened kind of late. It was one of those songs that very much captures a moment of what was happening in the studio. We were kind of all talking about going to bed and then we started this song and it felt like if we go to bed and do it tomorrow it's not going to be the same as it would be if we finished it now. So you found a way to stay up. I think sometimes there are things that can feel like we have to find a way to finish this now. We did an all nighter, finished it and went out the beach to watch the sun come up and it was a nice moment of this album." Stern 'this is about some woman that didn't pay attention to you. He reads the line with cocaine before asking. There is a frustration in this song' Harry confirms it is about one woman. And responds "I think it is kind of like an infatuation with chasing troubled things"

Stern continues, 'You know Taylor Swift has a song called Daylight, maybe she's the girl in the thing?' To which Harry says "here we go, mm hm." and looks away. Stern, seeing the answer, offers, 'or am I reading too much into it.' which Harry agrees with, Stern comments on his smile Harry adds "You know I'd love to tell you that your spot on, but I can't" smiles and exchanges a knowing look with Mitch. Call me as convinced as Stern, what Harry said was he couldn't confirm that, especially after Stern read the cocaine line.

To Zane Lowe Harry (41 mins) told a similar story about staying up to complete it and told the surfing/song writing metaphor. Zane approached it along with As it Was and Grapejuice as a suite he sees as expressing pain and vice dependency. Harry moved on to talk about As It Was.

Timeline

Harry was in LA promoting Fine Line when the COVID travel ban was introduced 17 March 2020. Harry told Zane Lowe (24 Mins) he stayed home for 6 weeks then booked and went to Shangri-la studio to record. LNT, Daylight, Keep Driving and Sushi were in this group, to Stern and Lowe he said Daylight was one of the first. That places these songs between 28 April 2020 and 18 July 2020 (when Harry was back in the UK) Daylight at the earlier end of that time. The leaked too much sauce was recorded and Taylor wrote Folklore in that period also. See 2020 timeline.

Live Performances

Daylight was the 4th song on the Love on Tour Setlist, once Harry's House was released. Harry replaced it with Stockholm Syndrome for 18 shows from 18 May 2023, appearing in a handful of shows in June and July. The only shows with both were Wembley and the last show.

The tour visuals have a blue bird flying between LA and London. Harry also had a cloud background. Showing LA rather than NY is interesting when the song mentions NY.

What is the Bluebird Reference about

Bluebirds appeared in the opening to Love on Tour and may refer to:

Charles Bukowski's has a poem Bluebird, Harry is read Bukowski books and poems on stage. In the poem, the bird is a metaphor for Bukowski's emotions, articulated that he weeps in private. He keeps it hidden with whiskey to protect his image that sells books of misogynistic poetry, he opposes weeping with strength and cleverness. If Harry is referencing this, this is it is consistent with the reference to Harry's own work:

In "If I could Fly" Harry shared his vulnerability with his muse for their eyes only and hoped they would not run from him. In this same HH recording period, Harry has a series of songs that describe a rockstar lifestyle, referring to choking and cocaine, (Daylight, Keep Driving and (leaked) Too Much Sauce and (leaked) Make My Day) but that Harry actually just wishes his muse reciprocated his feelings and wanted to settle down and be happy.

When she was 14 Taylor Swift's was given her first record deal and performed at a writers night at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. She talks about it in this video when she returned to the cafe, there are photos of her 2004 performance with Scott Borchetta in the audience. The cafe has a chair with a plaque she included in the Taymoji set. Harry would have known this, however the Grammy museum also covered when she played there in 2018. Taylor also had a bluebird in the WANGBT video and on 17 June 2023 uploaded a single image to youtube with bluebirds promoting Eras in Mexico. This was a few weeks before Harry’s daylight MV was released.

This link lists songs about bluebirds. I think Paul McCartney's "Bluebird" and Joe Ely's "If you were a Bluebird" are both plausible.

In Summary I think the bluebird is a metaphor for Harry's inner feelings that he is someone who loves and wants to be loved back. He sees his rockstar trappings are a salve, not a life goal.

Lyrics

I'm on the roof, you're in your airplane seat I was nose-bleeding, looking for life out there Reading your horoscope, you were just doing cocaine In my kitchen, you never listen, I hope you're missing me by now

The opening verse expresses the frustration Stern referred to. Harry's muse and he are apart now, and he is missing them, almost indigently hoping they miss him too, yet he cares, he’s reading their horoscope. This sounds to me like a disagreement or unsatisfying parting and Harry wants to be with them.

I hear the first lines as a double meaning:

Harry is high (on the roof, nose-bleeding) but his muse is higher (in the sky).

his muse has also now flown away in their own airplane seat and left him waiting - they are separated by distance.

'Nose bleeding, looking for life' reminds me of Kiwi "Holland Tunnel for a nose, it's always backed up" and Satellite's name and "You got a new life". "Out there" and the tour visuals showing LA rather also remind me of Satellite's 'L.A. Mood'.

In the music video here Harry climbs down from a ladder to the sky, which reminds me of Story of My Life's "But, baby, runnin' after you is like chasin' the clouds". Clouds appear in several of their videos, including Lavender Haze, where, on the Eras tour, Taylor climbs up a ladder to one:

If I was a bluebird, I would fly to you You'd be the spoon Dip you in honey so I could be sticking to you

To me, this lyric is most reminiscent of Harry's One Direction song, If I Could Fly and it has the similar meaning, Harry is separated from his muse and wishes he could fly home to them. While If I could fly is about sharing vulnerability and hoping they don't run from him, in Daylight his muse keeping him at a distance.

I love dip you in honey so I could be sticking to you, it's adorable and bittersweet and very Harry. Bittersweet because Harry wants to be with his muse, who at the start of the song was not listening to him and he was hoping was missing him. He wants to spend all his time with them and he doesn’t feel that is reciprocated.

In this part of the video, the muse in Red (Taylor's colour) takes shots at him (songs, antics in media) he is resigned that it may kill him, his muse gives a flirting smile when it doesn't. Harry then walks past muses in pink with a bored look. A Grapejuice reference "I'm so over whites and pinks" Harry only has eyes for his 'old and Red' muse, even though they enjoy taking shots at him.

Daylight, you got me cursing the daylight (ooh) Daylight, you got me cursing the daylight (ooh) Daylight, you got me calling at all times (ooh) Ain't gonna sleep 'til the daylight (ooh)

This lyric reminds me of Harry talking about staying up to finish the song, but also he's staying up late night talking and wanting to be with his muse all the time. Calling at all times could be a muse on a different timezone, or maybe one he can't keep from.

In the video Harry is trying to get to his muse, clowns (read: us) are in the way. He cries and we are on his side, because we are! Harry is commenting on fans getting in the way of his love. Sorry Harry. He is too loud for his muse dressed as Miss Americana (& the Heartbreak Prince) who leaves. This scene reminds me of Story of my life "holding on too tight"

Out of New York, I'm on the comedown speed We're on bicycles, saying, "There's life out there" You got the antidote, I'll take one to go, go, please Get the picture, cut out my middle You ain't got time for me right now

This verse is similar to the first, Harry is a parting from his muse, he feels incomplete when they are apart, but his muse is keeping him at a distance. The verse has similarities to several of Harry's songs:

Out of NY, comedown speed, I hear as Harry leaving NY and coming down, or feeling sad to be away from his muse.

Harry does refer to Bikes in Matilda, however to me, where Harry rides a penny farthing here in the video emphasises that this is a winding wheel reference. The spinning and 'life out there' also remind me of Satellite again. In the first verse Harry was looking for life out there and he has now found it.

Antidote is also in Golden "I can feel you take control (I can feel you take control) / Of who I am, and all I've ever known Lovin' you's the antidote", and Ever Since New York "Choose your words 'cause there's no antidote" a Medicine is also similar to an antidote. Also in End of the Day "Twenty minutes later, wound up in the hospital / The priest thinks it's the devil, my mum thinks it's the flu / But, girl, it's only you" Here Harry takes one to go because he's parting from his muse.

Finally, the last 2 lines are also reminiscent of Satellite "(Spinning out, waiting for ya) / I'm in an L.A. Mood / I don't wanna talk to you/ She said, "Give me a day or two"

#harry styles #haylor #harry’s house #charles bukowski

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live-in-consort · 2 months

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yes I have heard about the boleyn cast change and yes I am devastated… what am I going to do without my h-e-b howard

#six chaos #six the musical #six boleyn tour #aline mayagoitia

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viridiave · 1 year

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So I've been playing Octopath Traveler 2 again. In Japanese. From the start. All over again. We know how this goes-

Temenos - god all you need to know is that if you thought he sounded gay as fuck in English he's even gayer in Japanese (Akira Ishida-isms?) BUT I have also heard a few of his more emotional lines in JP and uh - let's just say. He's a LOT better at screaming in JP. ENG Temenos is a hell of a lot more sarcastic tho he's a funny man

Ochette - so no shot to her English performances but god. I love her Japanese voice. She's the right amount of genki and quirky without sounding like a child and dkskkd ok I think she sounds cuter in JP come at me

Osvald - oh bless you Alejandro Saab I didn't know you were so good at grunting in a million different ways - tbh I can say the same for his JP voice actor but am I insane or does he sound softer in Japanese. Both of them are daddy tho vmfnfn

Throné - GOD I LOVE BOTH OF HER VOICES. Throné has the same Therion quirk in Japanese in that she'll switch between her serious voice and acting voice on a DIME and it's so pleasing to hear. I also appreciate how deep her voice sounds in both iterations UGH step on me lady

Castti - so earlier I said Teme was better at screaming in Japanese. I can say the same thing about Castti but for crying. It actually hurts my soul to hear her sound so lost. The only thing missing from her JP performance is that she can't say tHESE H A N D S

Hikari - I shall also say that Hikari is better at crying in Japanese! What the fuck I actually FELT that strangled scream he does when Tsuki dies in his arms and now I'm just thinking 'jesus boy I am sorry that you probably have constant nightmares about this night ala Olberic Eisenberg' - and uh Howard Wang is fine ig - I like his ENG voice a lot but JP Hikari. That emotion-

Partitio - Gotta say my hat's off to his English performance here fkdmdm his cowboy swag has charmed me completely. I can't really differentiate his JP voice from Alfyn's so - and I like the JP Alfyn 'I can crush your spine but won't anyway how are you doin fren' voice but it's also not that distinct vmfmf - Partitio's little stutters in English are also just. Chef's kiss

Agnea - I love her in both languages! Even if I do think her English performance is a lot better at the 'oh me accent's slipping' thing - I also appreciate that she doesn't sound like Tressa despite being the same age! Agnea actually sounds a lot older than her but retains the bright-eyed energy

BONUS ROUND

Crick - so I found out that Stephen Fu also voices Doma from Demon Slayer and I just. God I can't unhear Crick's protests of being called little lamb huh. I think I prefer it over his JP voice tho dkdkd but I appreciate the shonen protag energy in JP his screaming in battle has charmed me

Malaya - UGH. LADY. LADYYYYY. TOUGH LADY CAN BREAK MY NECK AND I WOULD THANK HER FOR IT - is what I would say for mostly JP Malaya like hot damn I was unprepared. I'm all for 'gently watches over Castti with a soft tired pining voice' Malaya in English though bless her soul

#octopath #octopath traveler 2 #temenos mistral #ochette #osvald v vanstein #throné anguis #castti florenz #hikari ku #partitio yellowil #agnea bristarni #crick wellsley #octopath malaya #slight ot2 spoilers #if i knew more anime i coulda made more jokes but cndnd #sadly no same energy as 'we've got period chopsticks'

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cavernfullofexistentialdread · 1 year

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SIX the musical songs but the titles are accurate

Ex-wives: Hey look over here, listen up- LISTEN HERE. Are you ready to party because you will be singing this as all 6 queens at 3 am like a maniac

No Way: Beyonce except she smack talking the living hell out of her douchebag of an ex

Don't Lose Your Head: Yall may say I be problematic but at least I went out with a bang lmao (And I'm def not reliving trauma at the end nope what r u talking about)

Heart of Stone: Cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry- oh wow that so sweet! cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry- oh crap I cant sing that high- cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry cry

Haus of Holbein: D A S I S G U T O H J A or Emotional Whiplash except its waaaaayyy too catchy

Get Down: Henrat gave me 5 mil, the other queens could never lol (The woof tho)

All You Wanna Do: The definition of twerking while crying (Yay more reliving past experiences at the end :D)

I Don't Need Your Love: Alicia Keys meets Beyonce and it's ✨inspirational✨

Six: Cathy convinces the Queens to write fanfiction about themselves and it somehow works

Megasix: Same as Ex-Wives except its harder and you look even more like a maniac, a freaking bop if you will. Also the unofficial official source of head cannons for the fandom

____________________________________________

EXTRAS!

Wearing Yellow to a Funeral: Anne died and chose violence not long after

Queens Fight Scene #2: Is this a West End/Broadway production or a wrestling match between dead Tudor queens? (Aka Anna and Cathy being the "Can I get a waffle? CAN I PLEASE GET A WAFFLE???" guy as the other almost tare each other to shreds)

K Howard Roast: Top 6 pictures taken before disaster

#six the musical #No way #don't lose ur head #heart of stone #get down #all you wanna do #I don't need your love #Megasix #lol Cathy convinces them to write fanfics #kk but I lowkey worship WYTAF and the K Howard Roast #Mood ngl #Fight scene really is a big mood lol

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lightleckrereins · 3 months

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Six Poland costume thoughts

I got an ask on this right after the first Poland photos were posted but tumblr decided to eat it so here it goes. This is just me ranting about missing oportunities, a real costume breakdown will happen soon.

Many thoughts. Most of them arent great.

First of all. Credit where credit is due. The very base concept is really good actually. But after that to me everything went downhill.

Short version is. Fits are all over the place, design has way too many elements that copy the original costume design for it to feel original, and some elements are just not coherent.

Long version under the cut.

Conceptually the polish design is good. Stylized coats that are impractical as coats but look nice and fancy are not uncommon for pop stars. If you have those as a base element and change the cut, lenght and accesories it is a really smart way to dress a group in a cohesive way while still highlighting their personalities. It is the sort of thing you might see in a collab grammy performance. It is very smart for six. Problem is the execution.

If you saw the original polish designs those were all brown coats with very high couture looking skirts and pants in the queen's colors. Those seemed very impractical and looked more like a runway collection than stage costumes. Also if you saw them described as high fashion detectives, that's on me. I didn't hate them but don't think they were right either. The final costumes are reworked designs from those sketches.

Again the short coats concept is really good and I am kind of angry they didnt lean into that. Because many of the changes feel like they are trying to mirror the Gabriella Slade design. Aragon has big shoulders and an open skirt, boleyn has a big skirt in a shape no one else has and a B choker, Seymour has a less structured costume with a lot of soft, flowy fabric, howard has an open skirt, long sleeves and a choker, parr has a crop top pants and an open in the front element at the waist. Which production am I talking about? The replica production or poland? Sure polish costumes are not direct copies but there are way too many easy surface level comparisons to be made. Polish boots also look like something heavily inspired by the cleves boots. And it is the same with the set, reminds a lot of the original one. Its sad. Because all that tells me is that someone in the polish team didn't have enough confidence in making a new production that stands on its own. So they went with copying as many elements as possible without replicating, and basically saying to the audience "look we are the real thing".

Then you get the colors. While only the school license is available to read and the proffesional one definitely has different rules and conditions the dont copy the original design rule is probably there. But I think colors are excluded from it. They are too iconic to ban them. Would be like banning the use of hand held mics. But productions are likely encouraged to do their own colors and discouraged from only the original colors. The original design is black with the colors as secondary. A similar mix or using the original colors as highlights could work as a nod to the iconic design while still being original. Some things are inherent to shows even if they originated in a specific design. Think the phantom of the opera half mask, or the anastasia ballet blue dress. Those have a clear design origin, but are just way too iconic to not be part of the show. Poland using the original colors is not inherently bad, but when paired with a little too many elements that seem to come from the original design it starts feeling intentionally copied.

Thing is. Looking objectively a lot of things in the original design either come from the libretto or are easy interpretations of it. (Executed to perfection but not that deep). Problem is that there are many more easy interpretations that can be done.

Aragon is gold because of royalty and has a wider silhouette to give her a bigger presence. Fitting the longest reigning queen and the only to come from a royal background. But she could also be purple as that color was in some contexts reserved to royalty (hungary recently did gold and purple and if branding isnt purple then there is no problem with that), or red because that was the color of catholicism which is a big part of her story. She could have a very tailored and stilized silhouette to show she doesnt need anything flashy to show she is the queen, or pants instead of a skirt to show maturity and experience.

Boleyn is green because of the green sleeves line. She is also bold and fun and loud which shows in her costume. But there are a million shades of green. It is common to read her as younger and pastels and neon colors currently have simmilar associations, boleyn could be mint or aqua or neon green; she could also be wearing yellow (to a funeral). Also doesnt need to be a fitted top and big skirt, she could have shorts or a leotard or a tube skirt or a split skirt or loose pants, she could also have a crop top, or layers or a jacket on top. So many ways to interpret her personality. The B necklace comes from paintings of her so it is an obvious iconic detail, but there are many ways to interpret it aside from a choker. Name and initial necklaces come into fashion often so there are plenty of easily recognisable options.

Seymour is white because of the association to purity being the one to give birth to a male heir. Costume is less structured because she is characterized as softer or again pure. But she could also be in purple as she sees herself as the only one he truly loved so the true queen. Or in light blue or green (or any other light colors) to show her as the nice, approachable one. And while the soft fabric works she could have a structured costume without big elements to show her as more demure than the rest.

Cleves is red because of her holbein portrait and because red (plus black and yellow) is heavily featured in german heraldic shields. But she could be any bright, bold color or gold to follow the gold chains line.

Howard is pink as that is considered the most feminine color. And is characterised as young and flirty so she has a revealing, less grand costume. I do agree that pink is a smart choice (and the original costume is very much inspired in a specific era for arianna grande), but there are many shades of pink. Lighter shades are currently favored over bright magenta to show youth so that could work, but also lilac or any pastels. As for the costume, she could have a fitted skirt or shorts, or a less structured top. She is young, she is fun, there are many ways to show that without a corset and open skirt.

Parr gets blue (I think) to show she is mature and levelheaded. Pants are practical and associated with serious responsible people. Blue in any shade not just royal blue works great for the queen characterized as the quiet, observant one; but also grey and silver or darker shades of green. Pants are probably the best choice but a fitted skirt or looser pants can work great too.

Basically most elements in the replica production costumes are easily explained and it shouldn't be shocking to see some appear in other productions. They are not by far the only easy design or color associations that can be made for the queens. And that's what annoys me about the polish design, it has way too many things that quickly remind of the replica design to feel original. It lacks its own voice.

The way costumes fit should be mentioned too. Boleyn and Cleves are great fits and very flattering, just lack some structure. Aragon and Howard have fit problems (around the shoulders for Aragon and the chest for Howard) and also lack structure. Parr feels unfinished. Seymour feels unfinished and is ill fitting on both of them. Its just all over the place.

Fabrics too. There is no cohesion between the queens aside from they all have a lot of texture. Things don't need to be identical but an element in common all accross the board makes different designs look lile a set. And don't get me started on the sequin skirts/trains. The more I look at photos, the more unfinished and unlined sequin fabric I see and the more I want to fight someone. Most of the sequin elements look like an afterthought and make well crafted costumes look cheap tbh.

But before anyone says I am only being negative there are some cool things in the Polish production I truly like. I've said it multiple times already but the short coats customized to everyone concept is really cool and I love it. Hairstyles are simple but great and I love the way they are customized to each actress. Rhinestone headbands as crowns is an amazing idea and a really smart way to tie them all together. The cloaks they wear at one point are a little shocking but it is a bold new take I really appreciate. The black and white corsets with ruffs for HoH are really cool and the way they make the queens look anonymous adds a great layer to the scene (even if the corset style is off by a few centuries).

As for specifics.

Boleyn and Cleves are the highlights for me. Boleyn in a half leather jacket over a dress is a stunning look, the dress fabric has a slight texture that balances out the metallic leather perfectly and the addition of low key bracelets finishes the look in a really nice way. I just dont like the choker, it feels a little too big and out of place with the rest. Both hairstyles are original feel like Boleyn in the show. Honestly it gives me older fashion influencer which is a great parallel to the way Boleyn is written in the show and some element of the real life queen's life too. My only complaint is that there is nothing connecting this design with the rest.

While I don't like the fabrics in this one; Cleves in a sleeveless coat and crazy pants feels bold and fresh and works great for the foreign queen who ended living a life of luxury. But the true highlight of the entire show is the oversized puffer coat she wears (I think) for get down. It is an iconic hip hop look and fits perfectly with the song while solving the issue of not having time for a quick change bwtween HoH and GD.

Aragon and Howard are my middle ground. Conceptually good but not on execution. Aragon in a tailored coat is great, but the color makes them look washed out and the skirt feels dissconnected from the rest. Both hairstyles are great though. It feels like TV characters having perfect hair under any circumstances and passing it off as natural, that energy feels right for Aragon.

The base dress with armsleeves for Howard is fun and youthful but the ruffled shoulderpieces and peplum feel out of place (if something was trendy when I was in middle school its definitely not howard in 2023) and the skirt feels like something added last minute. Also in a show that threw in all the textured fabrics this dress desperately needs more texture.

Seymour and Parr are the ones I dont like. Seymour in a stylized cowl neck is good, but the fabric reads really bad in stage lights and makes them look washed out. The all draped fabric look doesnt mesh with the rest of the costumes either. It feels like someone said "nice coat now add something drapey to make her look soft". And honestly shame on any costume studio that gives the plus size actress the worst fitted costume.

I don't like Parr. The top being a minimalistic coat is really cool and the hairstyle might be my favorite. But everything else looks unfinished, pieces feel flat and dissconnected. The whole costume feels underwhelming compared to the rest. And fabrics don't match with each other and stagelights make them look flat.

I know non-replica costumes in musicals can be underwhelming and dissapointing; but they can also be beautiful and interesting. Saddly the polish costumes fall in the first category which sucks actually. I want to see new original takes, six doesn't need to be a specific time period or style it just needs to give pop star. The possibilities are endless.

#ask #six poland

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this-daydream-is-dangerous-13 · 9 months

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Daylight MV by Harry Styles - why was it not the unreleased Two Ghosts MV 2.0? A timeline.

This video, released on July 19, 2023, is jam packed with Blondie and Haylor references. I think it was almost the sister project to the never released Two Ghosts MV…until it wasn’t. And I have an idea as to why.

Don’t believe me that it’s Haylor AF? Go read this amazing summary by @womanexile at whose request I am writing this timeline.

As we know, Harry was filming the video on and around May 10 and 11, 2022, based in articles and pap/drone photos from the time, like this Daily Mail article:

Let’s review the timeline:

April 22, 2022 - Harry performs at Coachella weekend 2 in Indio, CA.

April 26, 2022 - OW is onstage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas when she is served custody papers. H is not there.

But where is H? According to the article - circus training!

Late April/early May - Harry starts training in Kent, England with family-owned Sanctus Circus.

From the article:

“A source told [the publication]: Harry has spent weeks being taught circus skills for this video — he wanted it to be a real spectacle.

'It is probably his most expensive video yet because as well as all the rehearsals, it was a huge set with loads of extras and really extravagant costumes'.

The source revealed to the publication that the singer pushed himself to the limit in order to perform the stunts. Adding: 'It's been a real undertaking and the finished product will prove why he's one of the biggest pop stars in the world.' “

So late April - May 11 - circus stuff. Which is part time and on-and-off, I imagine. Then filming. And this was an UNDERTAKING that would have required a lot of planning.

He even arranged to have live animals, as outlined here in an article with the horse and parrot handlers:

Some take aways:

- he was supposed to the riding *the WHITE horse*. And when that didn’t work, he ensured the white horse remained in the shot.

- they only had a short time to teach him with the animals, but he listened and did exactly what they said.

- the legendary Styles charm extends to grumpy parrots named Poppleguy. “He's a little bit picky and he went straight on Harry Styles' shoulder, the sign of a good vibe," [his owner] said.”

Who can resist this man?!

But he HAS to know that he’ll get questions about the song title, since it shares a name with a song by Blondie. And he gets photographed making this video - articles about it start appearing May 12, 2022.

So what does he do next? Creates a smoke screen! Good thing two of his best friends—Ben Winston and James Corden—run a late night show known for outrageous bits with musicians. And he has a long history of doing crazy things with them, so no one will bat an eye.

He heads off to NYC for Harry’s House promo and ONO, but first — he has a DUPLICATE video to shoot.

And it’s hilarious, watching him shock and delight a quartet of Brooklyn residents and their friends:

youtube

And look at the clapperboard to date it:

Bottom right - MAY 17/22.

The next morning, May 18, he is on air with Howard Stern who immediately brings up Blondie (look at H’s usual TS grin!!). And watch him evade:

“You’re reading too much into it…I know you’d like me to tell you ‘you’re spot on’ but…yeah, you’re not.”

But you know who thinks Howard actually is Spot On? Harry’s Mom!!

The Late Late Daylight video airs on May 26/27, 2022 (depending on your time zone). And here is Anne’s IG story when she watches it:

And then - Harry keeps the circus video in his pocket. For FIFTEEN MONTHS. And makes and releases other videos.

There’s background speculation that the still images captured (Birdrry) might be for a Daydreaming or Grapejuice or other video, despite the bird. After all - we already have a Daylight MV!

And then, on July 18th, 2023 at his penultimate HSLOT concert in Lisbon, Harry has the bird image shown on the screen as he finishes singing Daylight.

After the concert, we learn that the video will drop in July 19th at 5pm UK, 12 pm Eastern.

And while the As It Was video promo stated: “It’s just us”, this one proclaims “It’s just a video, just for you.”

Which naturally leads us to this parallel:

And it is followed by the 10-minute 2nd encore piano ballad at the final HSLOT concert on July 22, introduced in Italian by saying “I wrote this for you, just for tonight.”

**My theory - its release is another in a long line of grand gestures designed to remind and assure Blondie of his ongoing, perpetual love and devotion.**

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